Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon: Pixelshifted
by porkchoppalop
Summary: Millie is a huge Nintendo enthusiast, her favorite game in the Mario series and possibly ever, being Luigi's Mansion. One night (morning?), she decides to finally order Luigi's Mansion 2/Dark Moon from a shady seller...and she sorta...ends up in the game as a ghost. How will she cope? Rated T for possible swearing. Cover drawn by me. Looking for some constructive criticism!
1. Chapter 1 : Surfing the interwebs

**Author's note: Hiya! It's me, porkchoppalop, here with a new story! Well actually, I posted a similar story some time ago, on my other account...and in the Luigi's Mansion section. Long story short, this was originally going to be a reader fic, but then I remembered it's against the rules here on ff to post one and I didn't want it to be deleted, so it's now an OC fic. Also, I figured the Mario category is more popular so more people will see it.  
**

 **I hope you enjoy it anyway!**

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 _ **Click... Scroll... Click...**_

It's one in the morning. I've been searching the interwebs for quite a while now and I still haven't found a cheap listing for the game I want; Luigi's Mansion 2, a.k.a. Dark Moon for the Nintendo 3ds.

I finally push my mouse away and lean back in my comfortable plush chair, taking a moment to relax.

That is, until a voice nags me at the back of my mind.

 _'Of course, that's probably because you don't usually bother to search for all that long. Even now, it's been about ten minutes at most of pure "searching time", with all the other stuff you've been doing at the same time. And it doesn't really help that you want a copy for ten euros or less.'_

I sigh and turn away from the glaring light of my laptop. I rub my eyes. _'Maybe I should just go to bed...'_

As my vision refocuses, something catches my eye. It's the Luigi plushie I've had since I was a little kid. Not long after getting him, my brother had gone to some big convention and got him autographed by his voice actor for me.

I walk over and pick him up.

The autograph is faded by now, something we had clearly not anticipated all those years ago, but no matter what, this Luigi plushie will always be special to me, as will Luigi himself.

The game he starred in, Luigi's mansion, is one of my favorite games of all time. I've played through it normally, speedrun it (though not well enough to beat any records)... I know all the secrets. And I never seem to tire of it.

 _'That's why I wanted to get the sequel, but...'_

 _'But I've put it off for_ _ **years**_ _now.'_

It's not that I don't want the sequel. I've heard it was pretty dang good and being the huge Luigi's Mansion fan that I am, it's only natural I should've bought it on release. But even so, my love for the original is the very thing that's holding me back.

 _'I already know it won't be as good as the first one but...what if it doesn't even meet my lowly expectations?'_

I look down at my Luigi plushie and smile at his derpy expression, despite myself.

Luigi has been with me all my life. Along with Mario, I suppose.

But Luigi always stood out to me more. Mario's fearlessness makes him almost seem kind of unsympathetic, no offense. But Luigi's cowardly and clumsy demeanor is just something I've always found endearing. I guess that's one reason I like his game so much.

 _'And now he finally gets another adventure of his own and I'm just gonna let it pass?..'_

At that moment, I make my decision. _'If I won't get the game for myself, then..._ I look down at the plush toy in my arms.

 _I'll do it...for Luigi!'_

And with that newfound determination, I click off all my other tabs and get back to searching.


	2. Chapter 2 : Sucked into the game

I search for a good long while after that.

Finally, I feel too sleepy to do much more and am about to shut down my computer, when I notice a listing I didn't see before.

Apparently, it's from a not too reliable seller, a user with no history in transactions named Prof_E_Gadd_5000. The image for the listing is even a stock photo. Seems like a badly put together scam. But even so, the price...that's what interests me.

 _'Two euros? Used? Well, it may not seem legit, but...who knows? Maybe their game just doesn't have a box and they don't want to put a real picture for that reason. The box doesn't really matter to me, honestly. Sure, it adds more collector value, but considering the price of this listing anyway...It's really not all that bad._

 _I may not know what region it's for, but the price is so low... I guess other people just couldn't believe it either. It's only two euros. What's there to lose?'_

I purchase the item of interest and lay back in my chair, content.

 _'It doesn't even matter if it's fake. At least I can say I tried now.'_ I smile.

Suddenly, I notice something through squinted eyes. A bright light erupts from my laptop, visible, even through lidded eyes. My heart skips a beat and I snap open my eyes at the sudden brightness coming from, not my laptop screen, but...my webcam, I realize with a shock.

I try to move back in my wheeled chair, but the light is pulling me towards it, almost like some sort of alien tractor beam. As I lose consciousness to that light, I think to myself jokingly, in some sort of half-hearted attempt at soothing myself perhaps that, _'I knew aliens were spying on me.'_

What happens next is mostly a blur. First, there's the agony. Flaming hot, it pierces through my very being as I get pulled apart. But only for a moment, as I soon feel part of me -and with it, the pain- leave me completely. The part of me that's left still registers that it's being broken into tinier pieces now, though strangely, it doesn't hurt at all anymore.

I'm floating, bits of me are floating, as a stream of pixelated blocks, through what feels like a tunnel that drags on infinitely, never arriving at a destination.

Then, I'm reforming again. _'On the other side of that tunnel,'_ I'm aware somehow.

As I reform, I feel the connection to this place (the other side) is about to be severed and I pull the rest of me out of there, before it can be lost to the infinity of that tunnel.

I probably make it out just in time before it severs completely and as I do, before I'm even completely reformed, something sparks just above me.

 _'Sparks...'_ That's my first thought as I reform and along with that, regain my senses.

I feel disorientated as my senses pop back into use, but also...strangely light.

 _'I feel lighter than air...like a balloon or something.'_

 _'Heh. We all float down here._ _Even in my strange situation, I have time to make references to Stephen King's IT by myself. WAIT...'_

 _'I AM floating.'_ I realise and jump a meter into the air.

Furthermore... _'What the heck just happened? First I was pulled into my webcam? Somehow... And then I ended up here. **Some-freaking-how** again... And I should be hyperventilating, but I don't seem to need to breathe at all. How is this even-'_

A loud electrical noise sounds from above me and I jump at least a metre into the air. I now remember the sparks that I pretty much sensed before. They were coming from whatever that was just now.

I look up a bit, and I notice a pitiful looking device attached to a pole. It looks like a high-tech camera of some sort, but it's blown up now. _'Weird.'_

And that's when I realize: _'If I came through my own webcam and this is a camera as well, could I have come from...there?'_

After a while of trying to piece things together, I give up and that's when I realize it again.

 _'I'm floating.'_

I look down at my legs and sure enough, they've been replaced...with a wispy light purple tail.

 _'WHA-'_

I look down at my hands.

 _'Is this really-'_

I fall backwards, but strangely, don't fall over, instead I continue floating.

 _'OKAY, this is weird.'_

I right myself again and shake my head in dumfounded realization.

 _'I'm...a ghost.'_


	3. Chapter 3 : Stupid greenies

I don't know how long it takes, but I finally calm down a little.

I manage to float a little closer to the ground as well after almost sinking through it at first.

I try my best to remain calm. Sure, this might phase even the calmest of people, finding out they're...dead, but I've always been pretty nonchalant about things so I'm sure I'll just get over it ...

 _'If I'm a ghost and I look this freakin' cartoony...does this mean I'm...in...Luigi's Mansion? But how?..'_

I shake my head clear of those pointless anxious thoughts and look up at the still-sparking camera. That thing is definitely busted...But that must be where I came out of. I look at it in awe.

I guess whoever brought me here won't be able to find me...

I look ahead of me and see tall brick walls, a gate...and giant curled up flowers. Definitely an unfamilar place. This mansion...doesn't look like the one I know and love. Sure, there's some of the same crooked, black, leaveless trees in the front, but the black and greenish tint of the mansion in the first game was definitely much more sinister. And the fact that that place was made using only ghost magic or whatever...definitely more spooky overall.

That's not to say this place isn't creepy in its own right. I guess it might be going for the more subtle approach. But still...it's just not **as** scary.

That's when I realize _. 'I'm here... in the game... Luigi's Mansion 2, probably... and I'm STILL being biased towards this sequel? Wow, that's annoying of me.'_

I look towards the gate again. I have my suspicions as to who brought me here, based on the seller of the game. That's it! I just need to find HIM! Professor E. Gadd. He'll know how to fix this! Maybe I should look for hi- _...'wait-if this is Luigi's Mansion 2...You don't think...'_

 _'Luigi's...here? My childhood hero...is here?'_

I float through the front gates in a rush. I'm in a courtyard where there's a couple of weird spiky looking plant things. I get a better look at the place as well, and see that there's two towers as well as another gate in front of a giant tree.

I also notice three green ghosts. They look like they're on guard duty. They're not moving much anyway. I'm lost as to what to do.

 _'Even if they're evil...they're my best shot at finding Luigi, right? I like to think that he wouldn't suck me up if I just tried to talk to him. And he knows Prof E. Gadd... Anyway, it's worth a shot.'_

I float towards them. They notice me and upon seeing me, one of them holds up its (his?) weapon. A rake? Really?

I hold in my laughter though, getting straight to the point.

"Excuse me, good sirs... (yes, I may have just assumed their gender), have you seen...Luigi?" I say awkwardly upon hearing my voice echo.

The three green ghosts (greenies) look at each other. Then, they rush towards me and grab both of my arms, one of them trailing behind. "Hey! What's your-" We pass through a wall and I shut up, disoriented. I'm annoyed that they're being so forceful, but I don't struggle anymore. I don't seem to be able to phase through _them_ and it's three against one anyway.

They lead me through another door into a room that appears to be some sort of greenhouse. It's overgrown with plants anyway. It's damp and murky in here. I don't like it. It feels like there could be a rotting corpse in here being used as fertilizer or something. That and there are probably other ghosts in here, lying in wait for their next victim.

 _'That was grim thought. Kinda ironic I'm thinking so negatively about this though when I'm technically dead and a ghost myself.'_

We pass through the room until we reach an object covered by a cloth. One of the ghosts removes the cloth and the object is revealed to be a mirror. Our reflections are somewhat blurred and I feel the need to make a dumb remark, "Gee guys, sorry to disappoint ya, but you aren't looking so hot."

The greenies ignore me. Instead, they all touch the mirror with some sort of energy, causing the image to shift and change...to that of another room. Then they pull me with them _through_ the mirror.

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 **Author's note: Sorry I took 3 months to update. I'll try not to let that happen. Also, just so you guys know, the place where this chapter takes place is the haunted towers in LM2, if you couldn't tell. :)**


	4. Chapter 4 : Such a cute ghost dog

**Pikminfan - Thank you for the continued support! :D As for where Luigi is, you'll just have to wait and see! ;)**

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We exit the mirror into what looks to be...a bathroom, with one toilet and two sinks with a long, stretching mirror above them which we just exited. Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised since mirrors _are_ typically fixated in bathrooms. I'm just lucky I didn't end up somewhere worse.

That's when the greenies grab hold of me again.

I would be pouting by now, but my arms aren't exactly free. "Seriously guys?" I exclaim as I struggle a bit, -earning a few disgruntled screeching noises from the greenies- before giving up and being taken through a few walls once more.

We end up in a strange sandy room with what looks to be mummies on display while still in their open sarchophaguses (sarcophagi?). It's some sort of ancient Egyptian exhibit, I suppose. If those are real mummies...consider me grossed out. I never was a fan of human remains being wrapped up in bundles.

I don't pay attention to the rest of the room as I notice there are many other ghosts present and I'm sort of on edge.

As we near the group of ghosts, the greenies let go of me and approach a ghost who I finally notice as another kind of ghost, one who isn't just making unintelligible noises. He seems to be barking out orders to the others. We float towards him and as he turns to look at us, I realize... he's a Boo. Having just confirmed my suspicions for sure about being in a Mario game, I stare and inwardly fangirl a little.

"And what are you three bozos doing lounging about? Luigi is clearing the Haunted Towers as we speak cuz'a slackers like you!"

 _'Haunted Towers? Does he mean the location we were just at before this? Because there were two towers... If I hadn't rushed in and been caught by these green ghosts I might've met the green plumber himself?'_

I think this to myself, feeling a bit conflicted, knowing I'm so close to him yet so far...

One of the greenies appears to speak up after a moment of hesitation, and what I mean by that is, they make weird noises and gesture at the Boo.

"Well whaddya mean there's a suspicious new ghost? Lemme at 'im!"

' _After all we've been through together...you sold me out. Thanks guys_.' I think sarcastically as I glare at the greenies' backs. The greenies move out of the way and I blink (even not having needed to) as the bloo- I mean, Boo floats up to me. Sorry, it's just that he has a blue tongue!

And...he appears to be drooling a little. I guess it makes sense since boos have enormous tongues and all, but I feel like he's...excited. Oh gosh that sounds wrong!

"You lot are dismissed!" He says and the three greenies zoom out among all the others. Jerks.

"Ey there good lookin'." He says with a wink. I didn't ever think I'd see a Boo winking. Then again, I just blinked myself and I'm...some sort of ghost.

"Hi." I say simply, hoping not to get on his bad side after what I just witnessed with the greenies. He seems to have an attitude.

"So wot's a nice lade-day (I'm not making fun of his accent, but the way he says it is honestly _slimy_ , especially with the slobber, ew ew ew) like you doin' round dese parts?"

"Umm...well, it's sorta a long story..." I begin. ' _Coming here was NOT the best idea. How am I supposed to explain myself?'_

"Well, aint' no one got time for that!" _'Rude...'_ "But I'd be happy to offer you a place by my side here at the mansion.~"

' _Who does this guy think he is? Nope, gotta keep up the act.'_ I remind myself.

 _"_ Umm...thanks for the offer, Mr..." I begin, trying to take the attention off of me.

"Booberry.~"

"Um... yeah... Booberry." I shift awkwardly. "I think this place is nice..." _'That's_ _it. Play his game, but redirect the conversation with a question.'_  
"What is this place exactly?"

"This 'ere is Treacherous Mansion. Lives up to it's name. Located at the edge of a cliff and teeming with us ghosts, ya see."

"I see..." This isn't a familiar location to me at all. There was only one mansion in the previous game. I feel more lost than ever, but before I can let it get to me too much, Booberry speaks up.

"So whaddya say?"

Just then, another Boo bursts through the wall, this one sporting a monocle. Interesting, because I swear Boos weren't this quirky in the game.

"Ah Booberry, so this is where you were." He looks towards me. "Entertaining a lady friend, while you should be doing your duties, I suppose? All the same, it's truly astonishing, considering a multitude of factors."

' _Like his drooling? Or his bad attitude?'_

"Spare me the lecture, Boomeo. I was 'bout to get 'er answer to my proposal."

 _'He makes it sound like a frikkin' marriage proposal. Couldn't hurt to clarify some things again. Besides, I might as well stall for time and maybe try to get this "Boomeo" on my side.'_

"Sorry, what was your proposal again?" I ask innocently, fluttering the eyelashes I'm not sure I have anymore.

Booberry gives me a dark, questioning look, while also no longer drooling now that this guy's here, he says,

"Oh, you know, just'n wond'ring if you'd like to join us ghosts."

That's not what I heard before, but I'll take it!

"Oh. Well, that sounds like fun! Sure!" I can't really say no at this point. Sure, I'm already dead, but these Boos could mean business all the same.

"Ah s'pose that's settled then." Booberry begins smugly.

I feel a jolt of panic, I REALLY don't want to be set up with this guy.

"Now wait just a moment." Boomeo starts. "I believe there is one matter which has not yet been addressed."

"An' what'd that be?" Booberry retorts, clearly satisfied with this situation.

"The matter of our king's approval." Boomeo replies.

' _The king? Wait...does he mean. THAT King Boo? The scarier one in Luigi's Mansion? (Not the one in the mario kart/spin-off games?)'_

"His majesty? But why'd we be needing 'is approval? Ain't she just one ghost?"

"Correct. She is just one ghost. If she was a greenie, I suspect we would not have need for such formalities. However, as you must have seen by now, she is one of a rather extraordinary variety."

 _'Extraordinary? So the color of the ghost can indicate rarity? Or maybe it's the shape? I am still pretty humanoid from what I can tell.'_

"And so I believe it prudent for his majesty to hear of this."

Booberry appears to hesitate, then replies, "Alright. Get on with it then."

Boomeo ignores him and instead addresses me, "What is your name, miss?"

 _'Thank you for actually asking! Oh right, he asked my name, better answer then. I see no reason to really lie. What can they do with my name? And it'd feel weird if they called me something else anyway.'_

"Millie." I reply.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Millie."

' _I guess it's not customary to shake hands or anything because they have such stubby arms.'_

"I am Sir Boomeo. Though you may refer to me as simply Boomeo." Booberry snorts at this.

I crack a grin, just to be friendly. "Nice to meet you too, dude." I say, quite informally, while hoping he's not annoyed I didn't refer to him by name. Boomeo seems to flush a bit in the way Boos do at that. I notice Booberry giving me a dark look, but I ignore it.

"Yes, well... I should be reporting to his majesty." Boomeo says.

"Can I go with you?" I ask.

Boomeo hesitates, then states, "I'm afraid I must go to the paranormal dimension solo first. But I shall return shortly." And with that, he promptly leaves through the wall again, leaving me alone with Booberry.

Silence. Complete and unyielding. That is, before Booberry speaks up and my non-existant blood runs cold.

 **"Am I not good enough for you, little missy?"**

I look back at Booberry. He looks pissed. _'Didn't even know Boos could frown like that. Anyway, I'm done pretending to be nice.'_ I think, as I decide I've had enough of this foul treatment.

"Look man, I'm just trying to get by. And it's really none of your business what I do." I say, glaring him straight in the eyes.

"Oh really, girl! You wouldn't have even got'n this far without me. What **_were_** you doing hangin' 'round the Haunted Towers, eh? Awful suspicious of you to show up in Evershade Valley even _after_ King Boo took over!"

I have no answer to that. _'I can't tell him I was looking for Luigi, then they'd probably hold me captive even more than they are now. No, I have to come up with a lie.'_

"That's just it. I _wanted_ to see King Boo." I say to him, bluffing. Unfortunately, he seems to see through my act.

"You think you can just waltz in here, and expect to meet royalty? Hah! That's a fat lie if I've ever seen one! THAT or you're even more of an imbecile than I took you for!"

 _'H-he saw through my lie. This is it...they're gonna take me prisoner. What do I do?'_ I think to myself frantically.

The smug, blue-tongued Boo seems to notice my distress and laughs a frightening Boo laugh.

"You're in trouble now, missy."

And with that, I find myself floating away as quickly as I can, through the different rooms in the mansion. Right away, I know I won't be able to leave. Even if I left, where would I go? I don't know my way around and if they looked, they'd probably find me. And I don't know how to teleport back to Haunted Towers via the mirror, even if Luigi was there. _'My best bet is to hide for now and hope they'll show mercy... I...I...just need to be alone.'_

Luckily, Booberry doesn't follow me...yet, anyway. I'm still sure they'll be able to find me when they want to.

I end up in an area that's technically outside, but still within the walls of the mansion. The Inner Courtyard. There's a single spiral staircase here and vines overhanging the mansion.

I float down to low ground and curl up in a ball. I try to calm down, but find I can't push my feelings aside anymore. _'I'm dead. I'm incredibly far from home. I'm all alone. And worst of all, I'll probably never get back.'_ Those thoughts repeat in my head and I find myself crying. (I didn't think ghosts could cry, but here I am. I guess my tears are some sort of ectoplasm now.)

I don't know how long I'm there, but soon, something nudges my hand and I look up from my curled up position. _'It's...'_ **"Bork bork!"** _'A ghost dog...'_

Its tongue is sticking out as it grins up at me. I smile despite myself. I've always loved dogs...and cats, pigs, many animals really. "H-hey there." I reach out a hand to pet it. The dog-a polterpup, I suppose, borks again and jumps up to lick my hand. Hehehe, gross. I shake my hand as clean as I can and float up from my curled up position. The dog backs away a bit, then turns towards me again.

It looks like it wants to play... Tongue sticking out, wagging it's ghostly tail, it stares up at me in utter joy.

"W-wanna play, doggie?" I stutter again. The polterpup borks once more and I laugh a little sadly. Might as well make this puppy happy even if _I_ can't be happy right now. I look for a stick to throw. I don't find one, but I notice some gross looking vines on the walls and rip a small dry piece off of one to throw.

"Go get it, boy!-Or girl!" I say after throwing the dry-vine-piece -let's just pretend it's a stick from now on- and the dog goes rushing after it.

We play our game of fetch for a while longer before I decide to stop.

Setting the "stick" down and hoping the dog trusts me now. I walk up to it and...successfully pet its head. It rolls over and I settle down next to the polterpup and pet its belly as well.

It's not fluffy or anything, but it's still probably one of the cutest and friendliest doggos I've ever met.

After a thorough petting, the polterpup gets up again. I pat its head and say, "good pupper," and it borks again, happily.

Suddenly, it seems to notice something behind me and stiffens, then rushes away.

I hear a loud whooshing noise coming from behind me and I float away from it, turning around to look. I see a dark blue vortex with squiggly purple lines going through it. I've never seen anything like it. Well, maybe in a Vincent Van Gogh painting, but that doesn't count. Anyway, it appears to be a portal of some sort, but I have a feeling this one must lead to...somewhere special. Some source of power, perhaps?


	5. Chapter 5 : Saved by The Boo

**Author's note: Sorry I took so long to update! Just gonna reply to reviews. :3**

 **Pikminfan - Haha! Thank you so much for the interest! :D You'll be seeing where the portal leads in this chappie! xD**

 **Cutie Kyuubi - Thank you, new reader! :D Hope you enjoy this shortish chapter!**

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The portal continues to pulse with that same squiggly, paint-like energy as it forms. Then, out from it, emerges a boo. Sir Boomeo from before.

Boo-sir, I think I'll call him from here on out. I dunno if he'll be okay with that nickname though.

Boosir seems to notice me right away and he struggles to keep the portal open. I blink, and then, he speaks up. "His Majesty requests an audience with you, miss Millie."

I gulp and nervously speak up. "N-now?"

"Yes. I was about to summon you here, but I see you have already arrived. So please, without further adieu, proceed on through to the paranormal dimension."

I knew this was coming, but I guess part of me didn't expect my bluffing to get me this far. I am a _**little bit**_ anxious, but I really don't want to test Boosir's patience anymore, so I close my eyes...and I push myself to float through the portal.

I feel a huge shift in energy upon entering the paranormal dimension. How do I put this... In the Mario world/dimension, I felt kind of faint the entire time. But here... I feel a lot stronger, I almost feel...alive, in a sense. _'I guess it is the paranormal dimension...Maybe this is the main hub for all ghosts or something?'_

I finally open my eyes and as soon as I do, I see that same swirly, pulsing energy. I'm looking up now and it seems the sky here...the very atmosphere is made of it. I have a feeling that if I went in deeper, I'd find other ghosts/areas, but for now, I'm staying put. Wouldn't want to get lost after all. I notice something straight ahead, however.

It's a levitating platform, made out of some sort of unrecognizable black, rugged rock. And atop it, a malicious looking castle.

If there's anything I know about this place, it's that the laws of physics most likely don't apply here. Some otherworldly force is probably keeping this platform -along with the castle- afloat. And a little known fact is that the mansion in the first Luigi's Mansion was purely created by boo/ghostly powers, so this castle is probably no more corporeal than that one was.

In fact, it probably couldn't even exist in the regular Mario world, given the immense mass of the thing and the fact that paranormal powers seem to be weaker there.

I nervously float up to the jagged platform, where there is then a longish path leading to the castle.

I continue to float onward amidst the black, eerie looking trees with their long, finger-like tendrils/branches (which still don't detract from the castle, given it's massive size). There are different colored ghost bats and I even spot a mouse. I try to look away from it all so I don't get intimidated. Luckily, the dark forest doesn't go on for too long and I soon reach near the end of the road. And then, I see it.

Boolossus. There's no mistaking it... It's the gargantuan boo from the first Luigi's Mansion. Composed of 15 boos and seemingly fearless, with its big attitude, even in the face of the Poltergust. It also has yellow eyes which differentiate it from just being a regular big boo.

It is guarding the main gate.

It appears to be resting, perhaps waiting, its yellow eyes slightly dimmed and as I approach it. It then senses my presence and booms at me, "Who dares to enter the lair of our great and terrible king?"

Despite my fear, I try to crack a joke to prevent it from showing through. Maybe I would've been more careful, but I'm honestly sick of feeling so horrible, so I stupidly say, "Yeesh, look who's talking," and I mutter it a little too loudly, referring to him having called the king 'terrible'.

"Anyway," I casually start again, "I'm Millie and Sir Boomeo sent-"

"Silence!" It booms again and I cower a bit, regretting every word of my dumb joke. After I show my fear, Boolossus just continues. "Sir Boomeo is a fool if he truly sent you. You may not enter until you learn the meaning of respect! Now leave, lest you wish to face our wrath- that of which _**is**_ truly terrible!" It says, as it leers with a maniacal toothy grin.

I freeze on the spot. I'm going to die...Or have a fate worse than death... And all because I had to make a snarky joke. I'm such a moron.

I close my eyes and hide my face as I wait for my end to come. But it never does.

Surprising me, I suddenly hear a voice, soft as silk, with the sinister undertones being the main reason for its unpleasantness to me, personally. It's...almost like a whisper, but not quite. With a confident and outright- commanding tone, it demands,

 _ **"What is the meaning of this insolence?"**_


	6. Chapter 6 : Suddenly trapped

**I was still more inspired to write this story, more so than ANY of my other ones, so here's another chapter! xD**

 **Pikminfan - Haha, you guessed it! xD Thanks for reviewing as always! ;)**

 **Daisuke-the-Skyhaven Prince - Yay! Another person hooked! :D Here's another chapter! Hope your hype hasn't died down! :) (Thank you for reviewing!)**

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"What is the meaning of this insolence?"

Upon hearing that voice, I had originally been even more freaked out. But now, in this moment of silence, I regain my courage and finally look up.

Somehow, I'm not surprised when I see King Boo in person for the first time. His voice sounds pretty similar to how he sounds in-game, even if it's just the laugh. And let me tell you, if you thought he looked even a little menacing in the game, you should see him glaring at someone in real life. It's absolutely terrifying. And he's doing that right now. Not at me, luckily. But right at Boolossus.

In response, Boolossus is cowering, ironically just like I was a second ago. Like a regular boo, it has a blush on its face as it attempts to cover its face with those stubby arms, but its yellow eyes are half-lidded, almost like it's waiting to see what happens next. King Boo growls angrily, then simply states with that same calm, yet sinister voice, "Move aside, you buffoon."

Boolossus hastily moves out of the way, clearly embarrassed. I watch as King Boo opens the gate with an electrifying zap of his crown _._ I almost jump when he turns around to look at me.

He only briefly glances back at me, but his cool gaze leaves me in a slight state of shock. Then, I blink and snap out of it as he then moves forward, through the gate. I follow him, as he's clearly expecting me to.

We go through some sort of courtyard with lots of dead grass, trees, vines, a fountain and some creepy statues, presumably gargoyles. I don't pay too much attention to it.

We then phase through a door and go down a corridor with lots of huge suits of armor. I get the feeling they would guard this corridor if they were left to it. At the end of the very heavily guarded corridor is a room, which we phase into. I look around and it appears to be a throne room.

It's very spacious and has one huge black cushioned, silver throne as the centerpiece of it all, with large dark, stained glass windows, curtains that look like they're made out of cobwebs... a few gothic chandeliers, some decorative statues. All in all though, it still feels pretty empty.

Before I have time to wonder further, King Boo turns around to address me. He doesn't seem all that angry anymore, at least. He seems quite composed. But then our eyes meet and I can't take his intense red-eyed gaze, so I simply stare at the ground.

"I have heard you have taken an interest in our cause. Tell me, why is it you wish to join the Boos? And of your own free will, at that? I see you are not affected by the Dark Moon's corruption and disappearance from the sky. Your eyes say as much." King Boo says, seeming interested. Well, bluffing got me this far, and I sure as hell ain't gonna give up now. Still, better change the subject to one of less importance.

"My...eyes?" I blink. I'm a little confused on what that has to do with anything.

"Your eyes are not fully white, even while most of the native ghosts of Evershade Valley have succumbed to the Dark Moon's -or should I say, equally due to the lack of it's- effects."

"Oh..." I say. Then I realize he's still expecting an answer to his other question. So I decide to tell him what I told Booberry.

"I wanted to join the Boos because..."

Then I actually remember that I basically just said it's because of my interest in King Boo! I can't just say that!

I notice that I'm trailing off, so I quickly come up with an excuse that would benefit me. ' _If I could learn to use magic/paranormal abilities... I could escape...'_

"I want to become stronger! A-and you guys seem like a capable bunch'a ghosts!" And then I realize I need to address him by his title...and a little flattery couldn't hurt. "Especially you, your majesty!" I bluff.

"I see..." King Boo states. I'm not sure if he's convinced though.

"Yep!" I squeak nervously.

"So you wish to become more powerful, no matter what the cost?" King Boo inquires. I'm unable to decipher his tone.

I don't want to admit anything, so I continue, "How so?"

"Surely you have considered, you will be assisting us in defeating the Mario brothers. I do not know how much of our plans you have heard. However, if you choose to decline now, know this, -you will not be pardoned."

I gulp, taking a moment to think about it. This is it. He really wants me to side with him. If I say no, there will be consequences. I have no choice, but...this really goes against all my moral values, my...fascination with Luigi. Still, it's the best shot I have.

"I honestly don't know much about your plans, your majesty... but my will to join you is strong. I mean...I definitely do want to join you guys. And if it means going against the Mario bros...I'll still do it." I force myself to smile, -albeit very nervously- and look up at King Boo.

He seems pleased enough with my response and he replies, "Very well. If your resolve is strong, then you may join us. Of course, you shall be properly tested before you can be trusted with the details of our cause -or even play a part in it-. This will surely be a way to test your strength as well, since that is what intrigues you."

"Okay! Thank you so much, your majesty!" I say in an overly sweet voice. Perhaps too sweet, I worry. I look up at him only to see him giving me a dark look and I feel like I could break out in a sweat.

"Know this, if you step out of line, even once, I will not hesitate to have you struck down." At that, I start to shake and in that moment of panic, I make another dumb snarky comment.

"I-I'm already a ghost! It's not like you can kill me if I don't do as you say!" I instantly regret those words. King Boos glare deepens and tears begin to gather in my eyes. But no. I blink them back. I won't be frightened.

"Oh, but I can do so much worse." King Boo says dangerously with a horrible, leering grin.

Before I have time to react any further, King Boo shoots a red bolt from his ruby-like jewel adorned crown and I'm instantly trapped. In a cage.

 _'What? He made a cage appear out of thin air?'_

"It's just a cage. You can't keep me-" I start as I notice there are holes in between the bars of the cage, so I attempt to phase through it from those and... ZAP! A shiver of electrical energy goes through my entire ghostly being. I shake in pain for a few seconds after the shock. I'm on the ground of the cage now and I shiver as tears begin to fall, covering my face with my wispy hair so he can't see me.

 **"Do not defy me, girl. Or I will make your lowly existence into a nightmare."**


	7. Chapter 7 : Surprisingly merciful

**Author's Note: Whoops, I posted this too quickly. Edited a few things... Here's a short reply to the review I got. :)**

 ** _Daisuke-the-skyhaven-prince - Yep! :) Thanks for the support!_**

* * *

 _No, I can't... I_ can't _give up now. I have to keep going.'_

I get up just enough to get on my knees, wiping away my tears with a swipe so it looks like I'm just moving my hair. This is humiliating, but I know I have no choice in the matter. Luckily, it's somewhat easier to calm down when I no longer have to breathe. So I say in a voice, almost like a whisper, but loud enough to hear,

"I apologize, your majesty. I spoke out of line. Please...forgive me."

King Boo seems to think for a moment, -I don't look- before the entire cage evaporates into red dust-like powder, setting me free. I force myself to get up completely now, floating in midair now, with my ghostly tail almost touching the cold stone floor. However, I still look away. I hate to admit it, but I am...intimidated by this monarch of ghosts. I'm sincerely...scared of what's going to happen to me now.

"I could leave you to suffer for your transgressions for the rest of your lowly existence."

He begins to pace with a dark, brooding look. "Perhaps you could become something to decorate a vacant room in this castle, nothing more than a simple novelty. Not even those so called "heroic" mario brothers would think to rescue you. You would be a lost cause, desiring only your freedom and nothing more, however: it will have been utterly stripped from your grasp."

I simply stare in complete horror of him and my likely fate, never meeting his gaze, as he "paces" (more like levitates) back and forth in thought.

"However... I am intrigued." He stops pacing and looks at me with a horrible grin. I was watching him pace so my eyes now meet his and I'm petrified, frozen in place.

 **"Tell me...How did you meet your end?"**

I finally force myself to look away. Excusing the suddeness of the question... He...wants to know how I died? A rush of thoughts go through my mind. _'_

 _Why would he want to know that? Boosir said I was...extraordinary too. Maybe the cause of death determines something...like the color of the ghost or form? Or maybe I'm unique because I'm...not from here. Either way, I died in a unique manner...that feeling of being ripped...I think my spirit could have simply been separated from my body, so I didn't die normally. But I can't tell him how I died. He probably wouldn't believe me anyway.'_

"I don't remember, your majesty," I lie simply in a calm voice.

"Oh? Nothing at all?" He asks, and I can tell he's leering at me and probably hoping for a better answer than that.

"I mean, I know I d-died. And I remember my life before it. But I can't remember how it happened. It must have happened s-suddenly. I remember being at home and then, it's just a blank. I ended up in Evershade Valley and somehow I was...dead. Then, I went to haunted towers wishing to join you, your majesty." I fib, still not meeting his eyes.

"How did you hear tell of our cause?" King Boo inquires quickly. I take a moment to think of my next blatant lie.

"Oh that?" I say as nonchalantly as I can. Now's the time to put my Luigi's Mansion knowledge to the test.

"I've heard a lot about you in general , your majesty...I don't know much about your current plans, but I know how you fought Luigi after taking Mario captive, and it got me thinking... Now that I'm dead, I need to learn to use my newfound ghost powers which I hear we have. And what better way to learn than from the proudest of ghosts, the boos?" I smirk, trying to seem confident in my response.

"Did you never once question your decision?" He seems focused on my reply when I glance at him and I realize I really must have caught his attention.

I continue my confident fibbing, telling him what he wants to hear.

"Can't say I did. The mario bros have always recieved too much attention in my book. I never really cared for them anyway." I say calmly, but secretly i feel a pang of pain at those words that aren't true. This is the first and last lie I'll regret telling **him** though.

King Boo is silent for a moment, probably contemplating this newly acquired information. I look up, only to find him looking, no, staring at me. That intense red gaze once again catches me in it and I find myself unable to move again. We stay like that for a few moments until I jump in surprise at him speaking up and can look away again.

"What is your name?" King Boo asks simply.

Despite everything, I find myself praising his manners. ' _Still more polite than Booberry in a way. Then I realize: do the other ghosts even have names? Did he bother to learn them besides the names of the boos maybe? Or did the Dark Moon simply make them the perfect army like he explained? That's probably the case since I couldn't even understand what they were saying...the ghosts have most likely gone mad without the Dark Moon.'_

"Millie, your majesty." I finally reply. It's not that I forgot him, how could I? But my thoughts were important to contemplate too, albeit quickly.

"Well Millie..." King Boo starts. "From this day forth, until you have proven yourself worthy of your task, you shall stay here at this castle. You may wander the grounds, but no further into the paranormal dimension. I, your king, shall see to it that you recieve proper training in due time. However for now, I suggest you rest. Ghosts do not need to sleep, however, they must still retreat and recover their strength from time to time. Boolossus shall show you your room. They knew of your impending arrival, but chose to disobey their superior, Sir Boomeo nonetheless. They will have had time to contemplate their mistakes. Now go, you are dismissed."


	8. Chapter 8 : Super Mario 64 piano

**AN: Replying to the reviews, as usual! :3**

 **Pikminfan - Thank you so much! :D You're also doing great by reviewing as usual, thanks for that too!**

 **Sir Anticorn - Thanks a bunch for checking out two of my stories! :D And thank you for saying that as well!**

* * *

As soon as I'm dismissed, I don't take any further time at that moment to contemplate my newfound situation. Instead, I zoom out of the throne room with tremendous speed.

Then, and only then, do I get to thinking stuff, while floating down the guarded corridor.

I now, also try to make light of the situation in a humorous manner as usual.

 _'I pretty much fleed King Boo like a...well, pretty much like a ghost being hunted down by... something that threatens their very freedom. A fate worse than death itself was for many of us ghosts, I'm sure._

 _Can "the audience" guess what it is?'_

I ask myself that simple, sarcastic question with such an obvious answer to me, it rivals the simplicity of a question straight out of a certain children's show with a kid "explorer".

After a deliberate pause, I resume my, while sarcastic, also actually somewhat pressing and urgent thoughts.

 _'I'll give ya a hint. I ain't thinking bout' one of those expensive, flimsy steam cleaner nozzle-headed things they advertise on TV, (usually with some obnoxious announcer guy)._

 _No, I'm referring to the pinnacle of house cleaning itself. The thing that sucks up all the filth and gets the job done. Even the quickest little dust bunnies probably won't be able to burrow under some hard-to-move wardrobe. It's..._

 _A vacuum cleaner. That's the obvious answer for what I could have been escaping from when I dashed out of the throne room._

 _But you know what? I may have just found a worse fate today than being inhaled by a formidable (to us ghosts) "beast" primarily meant for tidying-up._

 _You know how King Boo turned Mario into a painting? Well, turns out he could do something similar to me too! And it wouldn't be as simple to escape as from Egadd's lab. Even if Egadd turned me into a painting too, it'd be at least possible to escape over there. Here, I'm in a whole different dimension! I'd be screwed!' I_ admit to myself at last, thus concluding my monologue-like thoughts.

I'm still worried, but now, my thoughts slow down as I force myself not to panic much further and continue down the guarded corridor. I guess this area just leads to the (a?) throne room so I'd better not come here again without King Boo or someone accompanying me. From what I saw, I bet the courtyard leads to tens of other doors though. One of them must eventually lead to my room, I guess. _'And more importantly...Should I really bother Boolossus again?_ '

I make it back to the courtyard and the main gates are still open. I can't see Boolossus from this angle, but I hear voices...and they sound...displeased? I feel apprehensive, to say the least about talking to Boolossus again...

I decide at that moment to just look for my room myself. ' _Surely they were just planning on giving me any old guest room they had, right? It can't be that hard to find one of those... They probably didn't have time to plan for my arrival... And if I go to the wrong room, I'll just leave! Simple_." I nod to myself, affirming my thoughts, and go through another one of the doors. The hallway is lit by spooky green torches and I follow it to a sort of foyer with lots of staircases leading to different directions. At the top of each staircase, there's another door leading to unknown territory. It all looks...off somehow. Almost like a maze beckoning me to get lost inside it.

Still, I have to check at least one room now that I'm here. Might as well go up one of these...

I float towards the door at the end of the middle staircase and its respective over-hanging platform. When I phase through it, it leads to...another long hallway. Dangit.

Although now that I look at it... It has doors on each side. Almost like a hotel! ' _Perhaps this is where the guest rooms are?'_

I grin to myself and skip the first door. First door is number 1. And number 1 has always been bad luck for me. I prefer 2 or 3. Another reason why I like Luigi more. Player 2 and all.

I stop at the third door, on the right. Perhaps it's just the eerie green lighting adorning these halls, but... Something about this door seems to almost pull me towards it.

I go in the room to find a medium-sized, monotone, grayscale room. The carpet is an ash gray, with intricate flower and vine-like patterns on it. The wall has peeling wallpaper, making it look very unappealing. (Haha, unaPEELing.) There's also a smallish chandelier hanging from the ceiling with those same green candles.

And the centerpiece of it all is (though it's not quite in the center of the room) a grand piano. Its glossy, ebony surface reflects the light of the candles, making it look enticing to me. I begin to float towards it, about to sit on the piano bench.

As I float a little towards it...I stop in my tracks as the piano suddenly opens up, revealing a nightmarish sight. Razor sharp teeth decorate its maw, leading only into a red abyss. The piano snaps its jaws back and forth as it slowly approaches me and I find myself remembering and now living my childhood fear of this very piano in Mario 64.

But no, it can't hurt me now. No more than it could back then. I'm still as untouchable as before.

I just have to face my fear like back then! And wait a minute... It seems like it's being territorial. It reminds me of...

I have to act now! If I'm right, then maybe this'll work!

"Stay, girl!" I yell at the piano, authority in my voice. (Yep, I assumed this piano's gender, but it seems like a terrifying, but beautiful girl.)

The piano slows and soon stops completely in its tracks and I silently cheer myself on. I knew it was supposed to be kinda like a guard dog! And that one polterpup liked me, so I figured it was worth a shot!

I continue to float towards the piano, albeit much more slowly this time. It growls at me and I whisper, "Shhhh... It's okay girl." And with my continuous whispering, the growls turn to softer whimpers.

"There we go." I say as I smile. I slowly stroke the top of the piano and it seems to rise slowly up and down, like panting.

Suddenly, the piano lid falls down completely and... A shadow, no a spirit, comes out of the piano.

It's...another polterpup! A black one with ears this time. (The other polterpup was white and earless.) The ears are curved though, so they almost resemble horns. She (I still think it's a girl) also has only one white eye while the other one appears to gouged out. An even darker black color than her pelt remains as a hole where her eye should be.

The dog ghost seems wary of me as it lands on the ground and looks at me. As I float over to it, I kneel down to its level, though it is a pretty big doggy so I float a bit off the ground.

"There's no need to be scared. I'm dead like you, see?" I show her my see-through arm. "And even if you were treated badly when alive," I say, indicating her destroyed eye.

"Everyone's equal when they're dead." I smile at the dog.

The polterdog blinks her one eye and something in it changes. She doesn't seem as wary of me anymore. I float up from my kneeling position and reach out to pat the now calmer looking dog on the head. She then does something that surprises me. She leaps up and licks my hand with a gray tongue, then rushes back inside the piano.

I blink. The piano must be her favorite object to possess.

I float over to the bench and sit down. I feel like she wants me to play, but I don't really know how to play piano, I only know a few songs. I start by trying a few super simple songs l know, like "Mary had a Little Lamb" and "Buy some Sausage" (translated directly from Finnish). It sounds better than I expected so I conclude by playing "the Flea Waltz" or as I like to call it, "Cat Polka". As soon as I'm done, I get up and float to the door.

I look back at the piano and lightly wave.

"Bye doggy..." I say quietly and I'm pretty sure I see the piano move a little as though it heard me before exiting the room.


	9. Chapter 9 : Servant Boo

**This chapter was mostly to tie up some things, so it may not be too interesting. I hope you enjoy it anyway! :)**

 **Pikminfan - Thank you! :D**

* * *

I exit the room and now leave the grand piano's (and the spirit inhabiting its) company. It was fun while it lasted, but I really think I'd want to take some lessons if I ever get home. At least, it'd be nice, but maybe that's wishful thinking.

I'm not sure where to go next, honestly. I thought I'd look for my room before, but this place is so big. I don't know how I'd go about doing that.

I ponder this and look at the ground, slightly stumped, but then, I hear a squeak. A golden ghost mouse rushes past me in almost a blur. Somehow, I feel compelled to follow it.

It goes way too fast for me to fathom, and around a corner in the hallway, but I do manage to see which room it enters from under the door. As it's going under the door, its tail gets caught somehow and it drops a golden object it was carrying onto the carpet. A key. (It must have been holding the key with its tail.)

'That sure looks tempting. Maybe this room will be the special one for me? At least with the key, I'll get some privacy!' I think to myself jokingly. Though why would I even need a key if I can phase through walls?

I float over to the room and attempt to phase through the door. I get forced back and it gives me a painful electric shock similar to the one I received from King Boo's cage. 'Maybe the key disables the barrier?' I wonder.

I pick it up, turning my hand solid for a moment to do so. I then fit it into the lock and turn it. The key evaporates and the door clicks open. I swear I hear a voice whisper "it's yours" as I turn the knob and go in.

Inside the room, I see the mouse from before waiting for me. I blink, wondering if the mouse had something to do with the voice from earlier...and waiting for it to run away again. The mouse scurries off to a hole in the side of the room. _'Oh well. I don't mind it staying there.'_ Then, I proceed to pay attention to the rest of the room.

The room is actually...really nice. It has a white four-poster bed, with black curtains in one corner. Though ghosts don't need sleep, I guess it is a good place to rest. Next to it, is an end table where I suppose you could put a clock or lamp...if I needed one. A chandelier illuminates this room as well, this time, in a pale purple light. (Kinda like my color actually.) Then, there's an armoire which I assume has clothes in it, though again, ghosts may not need them. There's also a vanity I guess, with lots of drawers and a mirror.

If it truly was my room, I'd love to have a desk where I could draw and play games, but other than that this place looks great! I'll have to ask Boolossus if I can have this room.

Before I leave though...

Light reflects off of the mirror of the vanity I saw before. I float over to it. Just like the greenies from before, my reflection is blurred beyond recognition. I guess it's kinda like vampires or something, your reflection/pictures can't be seen by anyone.

'Could I use this mirror to escape?' I wonder to myself. Surely King Boo has some sort of prevention for that though. Still, it couldn't hurt to try, right?

I focus my thoughts on Luigi. I want to find him. No, I NEED to find him.

 _'Please...show me where Luigi is!'_ I focus my energy on that and touch the mirror. The mirror begins to shift. Then, with a loud crackling noise and sizzling reddish energy, it goes back to normal. It...didn't work.

 _'Please...I need to at least see him. I need to know I have a hope of escape someday...'_

I focus all my energy and thoughts on the green plumber. All my hopes...And I get a somewhat blurry image of him.

Luigi is walking with a flashlight in hand. He looks terrified as he walks on in some dark room, perhaps searching for a key as is typical in these games. I'm not sure where he is, especially since his surroundings are blurred as well, but just seeing him gives me some relief. I put my hand on the mirror and smile sadly as a thought occurs to me.

I'm reaching for an even more impossible dream at this point, but...

 _'Please...show me my world. Show me...mom.'_

I press my palm against the mirror. The mirror now shifts away from Luigi, but doesn't show anything else _._ It reverts back to a normal mirror now. _'No kidding huh? I guess I am a dimension away.'_

I move away from the mirror now, sulking and I slip to the floor, hugging my knees or well, my tail.

I don't know how long I sit there, so lost in thought, not caring if I get in trouble at this point, when someone else enters the room, through the slightly ajar door. I guess I must have left it open...Otherwise, they couldn't have come in through regular means (going through walls).

Anyway, it's... a boo again. Wearing a...maid hat? Once again, I am dumbfounded by the quirkiness of the boos in this world. But I have to wonder, is this Boo a girl?

"There you are! You shouldn't wander off like that! You had us worried! And more importantly, his majesty was absolutely furious!" The boo says, with a feminine voice.

I gulp. King Boo was mad? So they noticed my disappearance then... I'm worried. _'What's gonna happen to me now?'_

"You should be lucky you didn't wander further than the grounds. Otherwise, his punishment would've been severe! Like, for-the-rest-of your-existence-severe."

I'm somewhat relieved that it isn't _**that**_ severe this time, at least, not yet. Still, I don't exactly **WANT** to talk to him.

"Anyway, you'd better explain yourself! Or else there'll be no chances for you." She continues.

I blink and float up from the ground, somewhat towering over this maid-boo. She doesn't seem even remotely intimidated however. Just...strict somehow.

"Sorry... I just wanted to find my room on my own. And I figured Boolossus was still mad at-" She cuts me off.

"Boolossus was right to be mad. Your disrespectful behavior won't be tolerated here! Not by them, his majesty, or anyone!"

"Well, sorry." I mutter, staring at the ground. When I look back up, I see that the boo's expression has softened somewhat and I'm extremely surprised.

"Well...you seem to have found your room quite well." She chirps. "Come with me and we shall explain the situation to his majesty."

"Are you sure I won't be punished?" I ask, shocked beyond belief.

"I didn't say that. However...His majesty seems to have taken some sort of an interest in you. He blamed _**us**_ more than anything."

I blink again, not quite comprehending her words. "Us?" I question.

"Oh! I forgot to mention. I'm Bootha, one of the 15 ghosts that make up Boolossus! Pleasure to meetcha!"


	10. Chapter 10 : Sincerity

**Author's note: Yay! Luigi's Mansion 3 for the Switch was announced! I'm so happy. :D**

 **So! I know we've had a lot of chapters for introspection and dialogue, but I felt this was necessary in this chapter as well since Millie is forced to somewhat open up. I hope that's okay. We'll have a lot of chapters to develop the plot more soon. :3 This is a bit of a longer chapter by the way.**

 **Now onto the reviews.**

 **Pikminfan - Thanks! :D And yes, Luigi is alive and well!**

 **Vickers Vic Vic - Thank you! And well, I've still gotta think about the other Boolossus ghosties being introduced somewhere, but Bootha may just be the main one. :D**

* * *

 _'She's...a part of Boolossus?!'_ I exclaim to myself in my head, leaving myself in a stunned silence. _'I guess I shouldn't be surprised...I did hear voices coming from the entrance, so Boolossus must have split up. Still, if it works like the fusions in Steven Universe or something, I wonder how much of Boolossus is even controlled by her.'_

However, before I could even think to ask Bootha more questions, she now moves to exit the room. I guess it's for the best that we hurry up anyway.

I find myself following her out of this part of the castle, as we continue to move swiftly down the halls.

I notice a couple of other ghost mice, similar to the one from before, scampering down the very same hallway leading to my room this time, though neither of them are golden. One is blue and one is pink. They both look at me with their beady white eyes, then scurry off as we approach. Bootha mutters something about them being pesky rats as I'm left to brood on some thoughts all alone.

 _'Odd that those ghost mice were there just now, since I hadn't seen them earlier.'_

Somehow, -perhaps it was that mysterious voice from earlier welcoming me that made me feel this way- I get the feeling they might appreciate having a new guest around here. Though I don't know why ghost mice would feel the need for _my_ companionship. Some living mice need humans to steal food from and for shelter, I guess. Maybe ghost mice just like having someone around too? For assurance?

 _'Or maybe it's really like I said? Everyone's equal when they're dead... I dunno.'_

I turn my train of thought onto other tracks, like thinking of what I'm going to tell King Boo.

"Hey Bootha, how did King Boo hear I was missing so fast?" I ask her after some thought.

"Booberry showed up and decided to make trouble for us. All the same, we would have noticed soon enough." Bootha chirps. She doesn't sound too mad, which surprises me. She seems pretty self-assured and optimistic for a boo. Like she thinks things may just resolve themselves. I guess my mistakes won't affect her though. After all, I didn't wander far. And...

 _'It makes sense that I'd take the brunt of the punishment. Guess I really am just a prisoner who can't get away with anything.'_

We make it outside to the courtyard way too fast after that. I can still hear some voices coming from the main gate area. I swallow my nervousness and follow Bootha towards "the others", still somewhat lost in thought about what to say.

Once we're nearer, I recognize a familiar voice, squawking nonsense as usual. _'Booberry...'_

As we approach, I can hear (AND as an added unwanted bonus) see Booberry now, talking to King Boo and looking oh so smug as he spills the beans and tries to ruin the elaborate lies I've worked so hard to put together.

"...And when I questioned 'er about it, she said she wanted to meet with _**you**_ , your majesty. A load of bull, if you ask me." Booberry jabbers on.

There are a few other boos too _. 'I guess the others are still out looking for me...maybe.'_ I gulp as I continue after Bootha and they now all turn to look at me, expecting me to say something.

"..." I don't say anything. I can't. I had some sort of flimsy plan to lie again before getting here, but now King Boo has heard what Booberry had to say. He...knows that I lied to him.

I look down and away from everything. I'm about to have a mental breakdown again when King Boo speaks up again, all too soon.

"Is this true?" He says, referring to Booberry's rant about me.

"I just..." What can I do except admit to what Booberry said? "Yes, I did want to see you, your majesty. But I wasn't sure if it was possible, so I figured I'd settle for just-"

"You spew nothing but lies, do you Millie?" King Boo leers with a knowing look. At that, I freeze on the spot.

"I even know of your feeble attempt to escape this place." King Boo leers once more.

He knows...what I tried to do with the mirror? If...if I don't admit to anything related to Luigi though...

"Bring the mirror here which she used for her escape attempt." King Boo orders.

"Yes, your majesty." I don't even look at Bootha before she departs the scene.

"As for you Miss Millie... What do you have left to say for yourself?"

I force myself to stay strong one last time. Even if I told him the truth, he wouldn't believe me, but...but... I have to try something. Like always.

"I just want to say...I'm sincerely sorry, your majesty. I originally was just trying to...get to my room...I didn't mean to get myself into this...this situation, b-but like I said, I ended up dead and...And far away from home. And I don't think I could get back even if I tried with my current powers..." I realize I'm rambling and I'd better say something to help my cause. Something related to what Booberry said, perhaps?

"That being said...I um...always thought boos were interesting and-"

"Silence. I have heard enough to satisfy my needs." King Boo declares. I can never really tell what he's thinking. He's so hard to read and I c-can't even tell if he's angry or not. I realize I'm shaking. I hardly even notice as Bootha returns with the mirror until King Boo uses his crown to levitate it towards him, but at an angle where we can all see.

I look up and watch as King Boo holds the mirror up and then, gives it a huge zap of red energy. The mirror shifts and turns with red flickering at the edges to reveal...my mother. She's sitting there, crying... At MY bedside.

Or an empty shell of me, anyway. My mom has always been kind of distant with her emotions, so it's weird to see her cry like this. It's also strange to see my body from the outside like this. Ironically, I would've looked in a mirror to see myself before too. I appear to be hooked up to some sort of life support now. I can see that even with the background being blurred. Does this mean I'm not actually dead? Just in some sort of coma? They'll probably take me off life support sooner or later though when they get no response... The sight of this scene is just... painful, so I now look away, simply hearing the sobs. I'm still lucky it didn't show Luigi though.

King Boo abruptly drops the mirror onto the ground effectively shattering it. I guess he doesn't want me to use it to try to escape again (regardless of any bad luck he may get from breaking it). That, or it took a lot of energy to use it and hold it up. Wouldn't be surprised since that was another dimension and all. I guess I look different in this world too, so maybe they won't know it was me in that hospital bed.

"Your majesty, I think this just goes to show that she most certainly _**was**_ trying to escape back to these people, so why not issue the punish-"

"At peace, Booberry." King Boo states, being not too harsh, but firm with Booberry.

 **"Millie,"** King Boo merely states my name and I feel a cold chill go through me, but don't say anything to imply I heard him. However, King Boo knows I'm listening and awaiting his decision on my fate, and begins.

"I offer you a choice," King boo says. "The easy choice between your eternal imprisonment... or your freedom."

 _'He...might spare me? Even after I lied...about everything?'_ Although I'm shocked, I manage a simple nod, waiting for him to continue.

"Your imprisonment awaits you in every other prospect. However, if you ever wish to be free again, you must only obey my every command from this day forth."

Booberry now intercepts, "But your majesty, are you really going to let her go scott free and get away with-"

"Silence, Booberry," King Boo does NOT need to say any more to make him shut up. His cool gaze is paralyzing enough.

He turns to look back at me and our eyes meet. I can feel my eyes water up at his intense stare, but don't look away or cry. I have to stay strong. King Boo wouldn't tolerate me becoming a wreck right here and now anyway.

"Millie. I make this offer now with three establishing commands and in the confidence that you shall obey them." I nod. "You shall not attempt to decieve any Boo. You have been extremely fortunate to have been excused now, for your previous deceptions, but your luck is running dangerously low." I gulp at the dark look he gives me at that point. "Next, you may never attempt to leave this place. You shall inform Boolossus if you choose to wander the grounds further than the castle walls. Finally, in exchange for your training and eventual return home, you must assist us in vanquishing the Mario brothers. If you fail to comply with these commands, I will see it as a grave offense towards Me and you shall not be forgiven this time. What say you?"

"I-I a-agree to these terms." I affirm shakily. I had no choice, like before, but now that everything's out in the open, I get the feeling that...

 _'I just made a deal with the devil.'_


	11. Chapter 11 : Sanity waning

The moment following my "deal with the devil" just seemed to confirm the harsh reality of what I'd gotten into. King Boo's gaze was so scorching, it felt like a brand being burnt into my very soul, which sealed our contract. That moment seemed to drag on, with me just being paralyzed in place, unable to do a thing.

Then, King Boo's voice resonated again and I was able to break eye contact, his attention having shifted to other matters. Now, he addresses another ghost who is present.

"Booberry. By questioning my judgement concerning Millie, you have challenged my authority. An act which merits punishment..." King Boo states, and as I glance at Booberry, I see his expression shift to one so pitiful, it resembles an abject sewer rat. His brow is soon furrowed and ectoplasmic sweat drips down his round form. And for once, his disgusting blue tongue isn't sticking out, rather it is inside his mouth which is set in an uneven pout. Even so, I can't find it within myself to feel the least bit sorry for him.

"Y-your majesty, I did not mean to defy you-. Booberry suddenly gets cut off. I'm thankful for that. He can go to hell with his accusations about me.

"Yet you refused to accept my word concerning Millie." King Boo states as he coolly looks at Booberry. _'Booberry is now kinda like a little kid being bullied. Though I suppose he's also a bully.'_

"So I have decided. You shall supervise Millie's training as one of her mentors, along with an impartial party. Bootha, you will fill this role."

"Th-thank you, your majesty." Booberry says simply, though I'm not sure how satisfied he is with this new position.

"Sire, you honor me. I shall do my utmost to succeed and provide a BOOst in the quality of her training." Bootha says cheerfully.

 _'Did she just make a pun?'_ King Boo doesn't seem to notice or care though. I guess he must not if all the boos' names are puns too. _'Must have some crude sense of humor... That or their pride in being boos is so great, they have to display it in their names.'_

"Very well then. Millie, you are dismissed. Bootha, see to it that Millie finds her way to her room."

King Boo just... dismissed me to talk to the Boolossus ghosts and though I hate to admit it, _**Booberry**_. _'Well, this is just great.'_

Bootha quickly leads me back to my room, then also departs, presumably for the meeting, herself.

"You'll be fine." She had said before leaving and upon seeing my hopeless expression. "Just focus on happy thoughts."

That had been a bit of an odd thing to hear from a boo. I didn't think they were even the slightest bit capable of empathy, but I guess they can't all be bad. After all, they're ghosts like anyone else. Albeit, they seem to be different, like they never really led normal lives _. 'Maybe I'm just imagining it though.'_

After being left in my room, I now sit on my bed and think of how to go about using my powers. Though I have no idea how to use them, I try to just focus.

I've seen other ghosts levitate objects. I must be able to do that too.

I stare at the chandelier with the purple candles. Not an angry glare, just a somewhat incredulous look. _'Move.'_ I say in my head quickly.

Nothing happens. I sigh. Maybe it's because it looks kind of heavy, even if I pushed it normally. Still, it can't be THAT hard. I've seen most ghosts do it.

What do those ghosts all have in common though? They're all corrupted and restless. I'm not like that. Not that I'd want to be. I wouldn't even be myself anymore!

 _'And King Boo did that to them...'_ I suddenly have that chilling thought, breaking through my already unstable peace of mind. _'He could do that to me if he wanted to... The Dark Moon just had widespread effects. I'm...just one ghost. It'd be_ _ **easy**_ _for him.'_

It hurts to think about. I don't want to be here.

 _'This is worse than death!'_

Without a second thought, I push at the chandelier again, with a burst of the horrible pent up anger I get from those dark thoughts.

It now rocks back and forth, with the candles flickering on and off.

I'm left in tears after the act. _'Is this what I'm becoming? Am I becoming...corrupted on my own? A...poltergeist?'_

 _'No, I have to keep trying to stay sane... as long as I have even the slightest chance of escape and possible return home, to see... my mom again. It seems like I'm always doing things for someone else, last time it was Luigi... But I know what really matters now, and that's...the people who actually care for you. Luigi doesn't care and... he can't save me now anyway._

 _My mom can, by keeping me alive in the hospital. I don't know Luigi personally,_ _so he doesn't matter_ _._

 _It doesn't matter if I have to fight against him because I'm fighting for_ _what does matter_ _._

 _King Boo said he'd return me home if I follow him...that's_ _all that matters_ _now. That tiny hope.'_

 _That's what I have to believe._

* * *

 **Bootha's point of view**

I'm currently listening to his majesty's final words for now. He has asked Bamboo to replace Booberry in his commanding position at Treacherous Mansion for now. Bamboo was one of us Boolossus boos here at the castle, so I suppose there will be one less of us helping to advise the King. I have no doubt that the intelligent, green-eyed Bamboo will do his best to fill his role though. We do have a new addition, but I'm not so sure if he'll be able to coexist so easily with us Boolossus ghosts... Speaking of who...

Our new addition, Booberry looks very sour right now. I'm able to multi-task quite well, so I let myself think about things a little.

I never really had an opinion on Booberry personally. He seems rather full of himself sometimes, often abusing his power in his high position, and going after all the female ghosts he likes. However, we are both lucky he never tried anything with me! Deeming me too lowly, as a maid... Perhaps that was the case before, but now, we're on the same level, as both of us are Millie's mentors.

As for that Millie girl... I'm not too sure about her. She seems rather _**spirited**_ , decieving and lying to his majesty and such, but I'm not sure she's going to be up to fighting for us anytime soon. I do trust his Majesty's judgement, when he says there's something peculiar about her and her abilities, and I suppose she has no choice but to work with us, if she wants to ever leave, but I'm not sure she will ever truly be committed to what she's doing. Still, she'll have to learn to exist with us as well, otherwise there will be severe consequences for her actions.

Although his majesty seems rather intense when talking about her. I've never seen him so interested... in someone like this before.

* * *

 **Author's note: I hope this chapter was good enough for now! I'm still thinking a few things over for the future of this story, to be honest...**

 **13 followers! The number of bad luck for a ghostly, superstitious story like this seems ironic somehow... xD Oh well! Keep em' coming! If you guys like it, that is... And feel free to review as well! ;_; AND favorite!**

 **Pikminfan - Haha, glad to see you're enjoying this and that it left some impression on you! :D Thank you as always for reviewing! :)**

 **Sir Anticorn- Yeah! :D I'm glad I'm not dead too! xD I really need to update that certain OTHER story though... :( (I just haven't been watching Unikitty much since my friend I'd been watching it with moved further away...)**


	12. Chapter 12: Sending for help

My slight mental breakdown (and getting my priorities straight by the end of it) was a minor setback, but I now force myself to do something else, something to ease my rage of thoughts, but really mostly to distract myself from my current situation.

When I was at home, I would play video games, draw, read, or go for a walk and listen to music in my spare time. Here, I have basically nothing of that sort. There wouldn't be any video games... But there might be a few dusty books lying around in some old study if this castle has anything at all...though I doubt there'd be anything interesting if there's anything intact, since King Boo probably doesn't read nerdy fantasy/horror books.

That very image might've gotten a laugh out of me normally, but I can't bring myself to enjoy much right now...and the paranormal dimension (as I guess it's called) is basically something out of a horror movie anyway.

Drawing? I don't have my supplies...and I'm not in the mood for it anyway.

I can't exactly go for a "walk" or outside, unless I ask for permission, but I don't want to see Boolossus or Bootha (or... dare I think it, Booberry) so soon anyway. Not when I'm going to be training with them soon enough.

So maybe...music? I imagine the black grand piano in my head. I could try to learn to play it a little better...But I really have no clue as to where I'd even begin. Still, it'd be good to try it again.

I float through my door, since the electric shocks are no longer a threat to _me_ anyway. I close it behind me and continue down the halls to the room with the piano. The third door in this hallway with the candles...

I open the door and close it behind me once more, before looking ahead, -and somehow- the piano, the whole room looks...almost welcoming? I think it's because... the lighting has changed.

That's when I notice, the candles that were once green are now light purple. Just like in my own room. Did I do that? Or did...

I look towards the piano. and suddenly realize it's there _. 'She's there...The polterdog.'_

I should really come up with a name for her. Would she like that? Respond to it, even? It'd give her a sense of familiarity, if every time I saw her... I could think of her by name. But still, like I said, everyone's equal when they're dead. I should ask her if it's okay first. Even if she can't reply, maybe she can sense my feelings. I feel like animals can do that. And I feel like I understand them pretty well at this point too.

"Hey doggo? Mind if I give you a name? I promise it'll suit you." I say out loud, with a hint of a smile in my voice. It just feels like a funny situation. Doing something so normal as giving a dog a name here... But I've always loved animals... I can't help but feel a little happy I met one.

 _'And I think she'll be able to sense I have no ill will towards her.'_

I wait for a moment after saying it. No response. But I don't feel like she's against it. Still, I get the feeling I should clarify my intentions somehow. Do...something to convince her.

I suddenly get an idea. I could...sing her something _. 'Since she seems to be a musical dog.'_ I think, looking at the piano. I don't know what I'd sing... Maybe I could think of the words as I go. But to what tune? I then remember a certain song from a supposed upcoming episode of a show I like. I never thought I'd be in a situation where I could sing it as though I relate to it though...

 _ **I guess I'll have to face,**_

 _ **That in this awful place,**_

 _ **I shouldn't show a trace of doubt...**_

I look toward the piano again, and as I begin to float towards it, I continue to sing.

 _ **But pulled against the grain,**_

 _ **I feel a little pain,**_

 _ **That I would rather do without...**_

I think I hear a soft whimper as I float closer, so I move a little slower, and soften my voice a bit. As I near it, I put out a hand and...

 _ **I'd rather be**_

 _ **Free-ee-ee, free-ee-ee, free...**_

I begin to stroke the top of the piano gently.

 _ **I'd rather be**_

 _ **Free-ee-ee, free-ee-ee, free...**_

 _ **Free-ee-ee, free-ee-ee, free,**_

 _ **...from here.**_

Suddenly, in the small moment of silence after I finish my song, I hear a quick whooshing sound as the familair dark-colored polterdog comes out of the piano. I back away from the piano a bit and the ghost dog begins to circle around me. Upon seeing her lovely black pelt and seeing how wild she is, I think of the perfect name for her. It suits her color and her spicy personality to a cue.

"Pepper?" I ask the newly named doggo, asking if it's okay, as I turn to look in her direction. She suddenly stops and looks up at me, tongue sticking out and panting with a short stub of a tail high in the air. Seems like she's really warmed up to me these past two visits...and she doesn't mind the name, at least.

I slowly move to pet her on the head, since fast movements would probably scare her. It works and I get in a few pats, before Pepper jumps up and pushes me over. Instead of being even the slightest bit alarmed, however, I laugh and accept my newfound position on the floor as the adorable creature licks my face.

"Thank you, Pepper." I say with a sad smile, sitting up, after she calms down a little. The dog looks at me and I feel like she understands me better than anyone here at that moment.

"I...wish we could leave this place." I continue with a whisper, looking down at the ground. Pepper blinks her one good eye as she continues to look at me. Then, an idea hits me.

"Pepper, you...can't create portals, can you?"

Pepper suddenly turns around. She stops in place. Then...

She begins to howl in the other direction and I'm stunned to see the soundwaves from her howl become...visible. The soundwaves move and shift until they...turn into... another attempt at making a portal? This one pulses with a contrasting white color, but then...it dissapates into nothingness once more.

"I see... so you can't escape either... Not while King Boo's powers and barrier are active," I confirm. I have to hope that the king doesn't notice this little mishap. But maybe... Pepper's ghost powers will feel different to him? Still, I don't want anything happening to her for this. I just have to hope he won't imprison Pepper. Or me...

I have another idea though. King Boo is mostly keeping tabs on me. So, if Pepper were to escape somehow... Through say...another boo's portal, she could deliver a message to Luigi or E. Gadd!

"Pepper, I'm sorry to ask this of you...But could you deliver a letter for me?" I plead in a soft voice. Pepper comes nearer to me again, clearly waiting for clarification. I'm still shocked she can understand me so well, but she IS the smartest dog I've ever met, that's for sure. I look around the room and see it's the same as before. There's some sheet music on a small end table, but I probably couldn't write on that...

"...I'll be back later! As soon as I find some paper and a pen, however old fashioned... They should be in one of these rooms. Stay in this room, okay girl?"

* * *

 **Author's note:**

 **Pikminfan - Let's hope Millie's a tough nut to crack! xD Thanks a bunch for the review as usual, hehe. :)**

 **conkerkos - Thank you so much! ;D**

 **TheShadowStarr23 - Thanks so much! :D I'll certainly try my best to keep it up! :)**

 **Sir Anticorn - Thank you for your support! :)**


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